Arthur Cummings served county well

Arthur Cummings served as the director of the Beaufort County Building Codes Department for 33 years. I met him in 1979, when I interviewed for an electrical building inspector position.

Arthur was never the kind of supervisor who micromanaged his workers. Rather, he supported us, helped us as needed and let us do our jobs. When I first came to work as a building codes inspector, Arthur's patience and calm demeanor were very evident as he helped me learn to interpret and apply building codes, as well as effectively communicate with contractors. Being the consummate teacher, Arthur went with me to job sites in those early days to demonstrate the process.

Arthur always treated all of us in the Building Codes Department with respect and fairness. He insisted on cooperation and teamwork, which made for a cordial working environment.

Arthur kept abreast of changes in building inspections requirements through continuous education, and he required that his inspectors do the same. He received an industrial technology degree from the Technical College of the Lowcountry. Healso took courses elsewhere and was a statewide and regional leader among building codes inspectors. His professional involvement and leadership roles are too numerous to list here.

Under Arthur's leadership, the Beaufort County Building Codes Department was the first in the state to obtain International Accreditation Service accreditation.

Arthur retired June 30; job well done. We will miss him.

Larry Fields

Chief electrical inspector

Seabrook

This story was originally published July 16, 2011 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Arthur Cummings served county well."